Whiner Beer Company

Microbrewery in Chicago, Illinois, United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Whiner Beer Company

Established in 2015

Closed in 2026

Contact
1400 W 46th St, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Description
Whiner Beer Co. focuses on barrel-aged beer, a tradition common in Belgium and France that is gaining foothold in the US. Industry veterans and partners Brian Taylor and Ria Neri aim to make beers for people with a wanderlust palate, a curiosity for the strange and unknown, and those who take their beer seriously, but never themselves.

Housed in The Plant, a net-zero energy business incubator located in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, Whiner aims to promote environmentally responsible brewing. The brewery will play a major role in the operations of The Plant’s anaerobic digester. Once up and running, Whiner’s spent grain will help fuel the digester, producing energy for the entire building.

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8.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2018 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy pale golden yellow color with a 1 finger fairly dense white head with solid retention, that reduces to a minimal spotty lace cap that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, pepper, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, strawberries, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, pepper, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruit/Brett tartness, fruit/wine tang, and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, pepper, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, strawberries, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/tartness and tangy fruit balance, with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tartness, and fruit/wine tang. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately grainy/acidic/tangy, and fairly crisp/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 6.9%. Overall this is an awesome fruited sour/wild ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, strawberries, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Awesome balance of juicy strawberries and well rounded fruity/funky Brett complexity; nice wine barrel presence/integration and pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Tried from Bottle on 15 Dec 2018 at 03:07

8.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 12/4/2017. Pours fairly crystal clear deep golden/amber color with a 1 finger dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big juicy/fairly tart/tangy peaches, apricot, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy/funky/acidic yeast, peaches, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big Aromas of big juicy/fairly tart/tangy peaches, apricot, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderately fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and peppery yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy peaches, apricot, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto/musty funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/funky/acidic yeast, peaches, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/spiciness and tangy fruit balance; with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/spiciness, tangy fruit, and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/acidic/tangy, fairly crisp, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 6.5%. Overall this is an awesome fruited wild saison! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/funky/acidic yeast, peaches, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and pretty refreshing to drink with the modestly spicy/acidic/tangy/drying finish. Awesome balance of juicy/jammy fruit and Brett/Lacto/Saison yeast complexity; nice oak foeder presence, and pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness from lingering crisp dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Tried from Bottle on 08 Dec 2018 at 04:22

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 2/19/2018. Pours ropy fairly hazy deep reddish orange color, with a small fairly dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of lightly tart cherry, plum, berries, peach, pear, red apple, red grape, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of pepper, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity, funky, yeasty, infected feeling aromas; but not overwhelming. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity yeast, coffee, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate bourbon barrel notes; with good strength. Taste of slightly tart cherry, plum, berries, peach, pear, red apple, red grape, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of pepper, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Very mild herbal/roasted coffee bitterness; and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of cherry, plum, berries, peach, pear, red apple, red grape, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, brown bread, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of ruity yeast, coffee, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate bourbon barrel flavors; with a solid malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and yeast/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and slightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.5%. Overall this is a very good barrel aged Belgian dark ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, coffee, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the minimally bitter/spicy/drying finish. Other than the weird infection feeling nose, taste was fine. Well balanced Belgian yeast, fruity/nutty coffee, and malts; with solid Bourbon barrel presence. A very enjoyable offering, and nice style example otherwise. Might have some cross contamination from their sours.
Tried from Bottle on 26 Nov 2018 at 01:17

6.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
From my wife: pours mostly clear gold with white head with no lacing. Aroma is funky, slightly herbal. Taste is slightly tart. Hard to explain. Tastes like a mellowed out version of a wood aged saison. Not super impressed.
Tried on 16 Sep 2018 at 02:51

5.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 5 Texture 4 Overall 5
Sampled from the tap at Mixed Culture. Pours a hazy earthy yellow gold with a white head that dissipates nearly completely. Aromas has strong sour fruits and acid with light funk and grain backing. Flavor has sweet fruits but is acetic with some growing tart red fruits.
Tried from Draft on 27 Jun 2018 at 16:26

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
Sampled from the tap at Mixed Culture. Pours a clear straw yellow with a white head that dissipates to edges. Aroma has notes of grass, fresh leaves, hay and flora. Flavor has a combination of corn, grass, funk, straw and light flora.
Tried from Draft on 27 Jun 2018 at 16:23

2/10
Tried on 30 May 2018 at 01:54

6/10
Tried from Draft on 28 May 2018 at 18:28

7/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 8
On tap at Map Room Chicago. Clear amber colour lasting white head. Some Hallertau blanc aroma some Red wine. Some funk in mouth. But it's a sweetish Belgian ale light Belgian peachy esters. Definitely red wine berry flavour coming through. I liked it a lot. .
Tried from Draft on 22 May 2018 at 20:37

7.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
A hazed dark amber ale with a thin white head. In aroma, sweet fruity malt with light raspberry jam, light acidity, light Brett, very nice. In mouth, a nice sweet fruity malt with light raspberry jam, light acidity, light Brett, very nice and smooth. On tap at brewery.
Tried from Draft on 20 May 2018 at 23:54